Don’t Strike Out With Canadian Leasing Finance Companies – Hit Home Runs Via A Financing Equipment Company

Sports analogies don't always work, but this time we think it’s quite appropriate. Striking out, i.e. losing when you are considering financing equpment strategies in Canadian lease finance should not be part of your preferred ' home run ' strategy when you work with a lease company.

The exhilarating feeling of the ' home run ' in equipment finance comes from completing a transaction for a new or used asset, knowing that you have achieved solid success , i.e. your ' home run ' based on a final great approval, rate, lease term, and flexible structure .

Strike outs rather, come from that other feeling, the sinking one, realizing that you have been pushed into a transaction that doesn’t make sense. Many lease finance firms in Canada are only happy to put you into a final structure that fits their approval and security criteria, not necessarily yours.

So, keeping our sports analogy in place, how do you create a winning streak for financing equipment success in Canada? We believe its simpler than you think, if, and its a big if sometimes, you are ‘armed and dangerous’ relative to knowing your lease options , and what leasing finance benefits accrue most favorably to your company .

First it’s all a questions of ' fit '. In Canada there are three general categories of a financing equpment company. They are small, medium and large... ticket that is. (Almost feels like buying a suit, doesn’t it?!) So when you have a new or used asset to finance remember that you should be working with a firm that specializes in your size and asset type. Why spin wheels approaching , talking to , and asking for a lease quote for a new computer system for your office when the lessor is only looking at transactions several million dollars and over - bottom line its a waste of your time, and theirs .

Step 2 simply understands lease products. In Canada, we keep it relatively simple... (The U.S. has tax leases, trac leases, leverages leases, synthetic leases, etc!) But us Canadians can generally get by with capital or operating leases. A simple way to remember both is simply lease to own, ( capital ) or lease to use, (operating ). Knowing the type of lease you want can save you a lot of time, plus potentially thousands in interest rate and total payments made savings.

The 2 other areas of Canadian leasing finance that you should be knowledgeable about are lease options, and approval criteria. When you investigate leasing finance is aware of critical issues such as down payments, security deposits, the total all in rate, hidden registration fees, etc. Bottom line; spend some time on certain areas of the fine print when that makes sense.

We done necessarily agree, but most clients think that rate and monthly payment is the ultimate home run criteria in Canadian leasing company negotiations . We haven’t told them that in Canada, unbeknownst to most customers, you actually get to pick your own rate.

How? Simply because rates are provided based on credit criteria, and knowing your firms credit and how to present it generally allows you to gain the best rate possible without much negotiation. The good news is that Canadian firms with great credit can get lease financing, and firms with less than great credit, i.e. financial challenges can also achieve lease approval through a more structured approach - i.e. a shorter term, or perhaps a down payment.

Well that’s it. Hopefully you feel confident now as you step up to the bat that you can achieve a financing equpment home run. Its simple , just remember our basic tips around lease types, how rates are determined, and types of leases and how the industry is segmented in Canada .

P.S. See you at the World Series!



Stan Prokop - founder of 7 Park Avenue Financial -

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com

Originating business financing for Canadian companies , specializing in working capital, cash flow, asset based financing . In business 7 years - has completed in excess of 80 Million $$ of financing for Canadian corporations .Info re: Canadian business financing & contact details :

http://www.7parkavenuefinancial.com/financing_equipment_leasing_finance_company.html